Blog 1-Libya Border/ABC-FOB

As I watched the video about people crossing the Libya border leaving Libya, I was very disturbed. These people are leaving Libya with not much at all, mostly blankets. They are leaving their whole life behind to flee the detoriating state of Libya cause by Colonel Gadaffi. The people who were interviewed as they crossed the border had nothing but good things to say about Libya. Then why leave if life in Libya was good? Well many people are afraid to speak negativly about Libya and Gadaffi in fear of their families lives who still live in Libya. Gadaffi is a violent leader, and has put fear in the hearts of his people. One scene from the video talked about a 9 year old girl who was left with all of her families belongings as the rest of the family was being searched. Upon the families return to the child, the journalist had wanted to ask the father questions. He would not answer any questions, afraid of retallation upon his family. Another man, walking alone, stated how life was good in Libya, which doesnt make much sense to leave then. It is obvious Gadaffi has put fear in the hearts of his people even when they are not living in his nation anymore.

ABC-FOB

Flushing, Queens is one of the most highly populated asian county in all of America. Flushing consists of many different asian backrounds but mostly Chinese and Korean. Flushing, once a predominantly a white area, has been transformed over the past 20 to 30 years into what it is today. There has been an ongoing “rivalry” in flushing as well as other asian hub societies. ABC’S, American Born Chinese, are what it says-American born Chinese. ABC’s have adopted to American culture, society and norms regardless of being born from immigrant parents. FOB’s which are fresh off the boat immigrants, have long been a nusiance to ABC’s. FOB’s come to America with the norms and culture that they lived in-in their former country. Many FOB’s spit excessevly, smoke excessevly and do not display good manners. ABC’s and FOB’s also have differenting styles as ABC’s like to dress somewhat ghetto and american where FOB’s like to dress in very fashionable, run way style type clothes. Even immigrants who have lived in America for decades do not approve of the new wave of FOB asians. They do not come to America with good manners, often cursing at ABC’s, and not understanding how to run a business like an American business person. ABC’s and FOB’s will always be different because of their different upbringing and will always have different ideologies about how to live their lives.

1 response so far ↓

Nice post. On the Libya piece, you’re right to conclude that many Libyan citizens won’t speak ill of the government out of fear of gvt reprisals, not because they think the country is all that — which is why they’re leaving. However, I wouldn’t assume that the noncitizen guest workers (from places like Bangladesh & sub-Saharan Africa) are lying when they express satisfaction with life there: in comparison with their life chances back home, Libya is seen by many as a ‘land of opportunity’ — which says a lot about the socioeconomic conditions in their countries of origin and the immense inequalities among countries, even in our ‘globalized world.’

On ABCs vs FOCs: while I wouldn’t say that American-born Chinese favor ‘ghetto’ styles, it’s true that many young immigrants from China wear clothes straight off the runway — or at least copied from the runways. And this says a lot about the fashion industry in a globalized economy — only weeks after the top designers show their clothes in Paris, NYC, or Milan, the designs are copied and manufactured in Chinese factories (or Chinese-owned factories/sweatshops here), then transported to shops in ‘Chinatowns’ around the world. It’s amazing what you can find in some kiosks in lower Manhattan, Flushing, and BK’s Sunset Park.